Unconscious And Richard Wilson’s 20:50

Talking about unconscious according to modern art I think that the Richard Wilson’s masterpiece 20:50 fir the subject really well. 20:50 is an installation made from sumo oil. Placed in Saatchi (in gallery 13) exactly fill the whole space, what makes you feel really wired, especially when seeing from ground level. Standing there you has the feeling like being in some surreal space – the floor is ideally the same as celling, even deeper.



It is really amazing how the artist can influence viewers’ mind by doing such a simple thing like feeling the room with thick oil.
What makes me laugh during my shift there is when people sometimes come and immediately go out saying ‘oh, there is nothing in this room’ or asking me where is the exhibit. Most of visitors ask as well how deep is the oil, because it’s hard to believe that is so shallow. Once the artist was asked how deep is the oil and je answered – As deep as your imagination…



http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/richard_wilson_oil.htm

http://www.richardwilsonsculptor.com/projects/20_50a.html#

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/reviews/2050-richard-wilson-saatchi-gallery-london-1870805.html

UN-POSISIBLE RETOUR- possible impossible return

If you were able to be back into the past, which moment of you life would you choose? I guess if would be something joyful and pleasant, rather then child’s trauma.



Each of us wants sometimes to be child again, to have this free mind and be happy all the time. To have such possibility, even for a short moment one of the young artist – Clarisse d’Arcimoles whose works were exhibited in Saatchi Gallery till 29th of April, made a fail attempt to return into the past. She’s chosen a family snapshots and recreated them in contemporary environment, using the same style of cloths, going to the same locations and what is even more important making the models to act with the same face and pose. She said she spent hours to get this particular – right photo, but the results are pretty amazing.



She managed to capture this part of personality, which still remains a child, because it’s impossible to get rid of this even if trying very hard.



http://www.clarisse-darcimoles.com/

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/clarisse_darcimoles.htm?section_name=new_britannia

Isabelle Caro – ‘ die young, stay pretty’

‘I have natural freckles, but I underline them to put more attention on my eyes, because then people won’t look at the rest of me’
She had anorexia since she was 13. Her mother didn’t want her to grow up (be tall), so little Isabelle stayed at home all days (fresh air helps growing) and her mother taught her at home instead let her went to school. So Isabelle wanted to escape from that mad situation and simply stopped to eat.



Four years ago she agreed to do shoots for the campaign against anorexia with controversial, Italian photographer Olivier Toscani. The photos run around the globe and provoked many controversies. The campaign was strongly criticized that rather encourage the young to become as ‘slim’ as Isabelle. She said that it’s not a beauty but ugliness. She said as well, she didn’t regret this campaign, what I more she was happy and got her motivation to get better.
It was really brave for her to show everyone how she looked, especially as a model.
She was fully conscious that this illness would kill her but she fought anyway, she died on 17th of November last year. After this her mother committed suicide.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1342580/Anorexic-model-Isabelle-Caro-appeared-shock-fashion-campaign-dies-28.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTIjRxT_Y9g

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/isabelle-caro-the-face-of-anorexia-dies-at-28-2172590.html

http://www.koktajl24.pl/Isabelle_Caro_w_Rozmowach_w_toku

John Stezaker

The possibility to see John Stezaker’s output for over 30 tears of artistic work in real in Whitechapel Gallery was a absolutely amazing experience. His collages are done in surreal and beautiful style in the same time.
The cut is so simple so it seems to be done in three or so minutes, but in fact John worked really hard and had many attempt to juxtaposed everything just right.



I think that two series of images of this British artist are the biggest and the most popular. First is the ‘Marriages’ where Stezaker cut face of men and women and put them together, giving in the same time the new meaning to the images. Second is the ‘Mask’ series where the artist put landscape postcards on the portraits.
Personally I really admire his style, art pieces, the simplicity of the form and cuts.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/john_stezaker.htm

http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/john-stezaker

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/jan/28/artist-of-week-john-stezaker

Cindy Sherman – postmodern modernist?

Cindy Sherman’s works can be discussed in terms of definition of modernism and post modernism. She is labeled as post - mod artist, however for me she doesn’t meet the all criteria to be called so. First of all she has her own very elaborate style, where post Avant grade has very free style. Secondly the ‘Untitled film series’ is very coherent and perfectly planned – make up, scenography, actor and photographer all is one – her. She comments the role of women is society, and gender issues in general. The Cindy’s ‘actress’ didn’t mean to show any particular film characters, only artificiality of stereotypes. The other negation of postmodern style is exhibiting. Modernist used to put special attention to catalog all their works and put them in the museums, so does Sherman.



On the other hand her artwork are lacking in the record of reality, there are kind if pastiche, which fit to postmodernism assumption. Even if Sherman’s output is somewhere in the middle of post/modern she is still one of the most influential and well sold artist for over 30 tears.



Hoy H. H., (2005), The Photo Book, Warsaw: National Geographic Society

http://www.brickhaus.com/amoore/magazine/Sherman.html

POP ART – art or not an art that is a question

Richard Hamilton, one of the members of The Independent Group (which created pop art in UK in mid ’50), defined the new movement, saying: “Pop – art is: Popular (designed for the mass audience), Transient (short – term solution), Expandable (easily forgotten), Low Cost, Mass Produced, young (aimed at youth), Witty, Gimmicky, Glamorous, Bid Buisness.




So it is still the art or rather the remix of mass media, but just rose to the range of the art pieces? My biased opinion is that it still can be consider as some kind of art. Definitely not sophisticated in meanings and techniques like Old Masters’ art or modern American Abstractionism trend. But what pop – artists wanted to do was simply bring the art into everyday life and synthesized commercials and art. Considering this I guess it was very successful comment on popular culture, even more in the USA, where fast food and leisure stuff was more common (especially in ‘ 60). Warhol’s first exhibited piece ‘Campbell’s Soup contains 32 cans painted on canvas can be great example of cooperation between art and commercial. After this exhibition (1962) Campbell in 1968 used this in their advert campaign. So as Hamilton said everything is a Big Business.



Monem N. K., (2007), Pop Art Book, London, Black Dog Publishing

http://www.centrepompidou.fr/education/ressources/ENS-Popart-EN/ENS-PopArt-EN.htm#chronology

DISNEYLAND by Anne Leibovizt

Who of us didn’t watch the Disney’s movies when was a child? And who doesn’t love them? For me the old Disney movies are the most beautiful illustrated tales, which I have ever seen, so getting to this enormous style it is really hard to like something different or any attempt to make ‘like’ Disney. Walt employed only the best of the best to work with him; people who fully meet his criteria and those who were able to stood his difficult character. Now the Disney Company asks for cooperation only the best as usual.



The Disney Dream Portraits for Disneyland and Walt Disney Word’s Year of a Million Dreams campaign were shoot by famous Anne Leibovitz. This ongoing campaign started three years ago, in which Anne asked the most famous actors and celebrities to pose for her and become a Disney’s characters for a while. In the first series we can see for example Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, David Beckham as Phillip form Sleeping Beauty. Few weeks ago the three more images came out with Penelope Cruz and Jeff Bridges in “Beauty and Beast”

Apparently all of them had a great time and said it was real pleasure to feel like a child again. So maybe we should not pretend to be really mature all the time and come back to our real playful nature?





http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/03/disney-parks-unveils-new-annie-leibovitz-disney-dream-portraits/

http://www.photographyoffice.com/2011/04/disney-dream-celebrities-portraits-by-annie-leibovitz/

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-01-25-disney-ad-campaign_x.htm